Massacre at Tripoli II: The Aftermath
40 Years after the Great War
Londinium
Like many of the events of the Southern Campaign, the Massacre at Tripoli is an often overlooked tragedy of the Great War. Compared to events like the Battle of the Rhine or the Massacre of Arene, some might think this incident pales in significance. However, to the people of Libya, it is still a sore wound in the history of their country's fight for independence.
Exact records are confused at best, with Illdoan and Albish reports often at odds with one another, while many Imperial records were damaged and incomplete due to the upheaval that occurred towards the end of the war. However, we have been able to put together a brief account of events.
It is December 4th 1925 and an imperial diplomat is visiting the town on behalf of Romel's task force, accompanied by non-other than The Saint of Letzenbourg. After finishing the meeting with General Igor Gassman, the visiting imperials spent some time in the market district, at which point they were attacked by members of an Albish supported separatist group known as the Senussi.
The exact details of the skirmish that followed are uncertain but what is known is that the Saint counterattacked, killing at least fifteen people and levelling part of the town causing dozens of injuries. It is thought that more may have died in the aftermath, however, we may never be certain. The Saint would allow no one near the rubble to search for survivors as he was wary of further attack. It was not until an Imperial relief force arrived that he was persuaded to stand down and the fate of the diplomat is unknown.
At the time, the Illdoan Government decried this as an attack against their citizens on their own sovereign soil. However, only days after the event they withdraw their complaint, calling the victims traitors and condemning Albish influence in their country. The Libyans however, have maintained that many of those caught up in the incident were unarmed civilians, and consider the Saint a murderer.
In response to these accusations, Letzenbourg still refuses to acknowledge Libya diplomatically, with the Letzenbourg foreign minister recently commenting: "Only cowards attack then blame a man for defending himself. We do not recognise cowards."
The truth may never be known, and it is difficult to see who is truly to blame here. However, there are some things that can be learned from a historical perspective.
This incident was one of the early occurrences of the once merciful Letzenbourg legend displaying barbarism completely at odds with his usual character. It is for this reason, as well as the volume of dangerous engagements the figure had been involved in, that has given rise to the accepted theory the Saint was a title carried from mage to mage to perpetuate the myth. Indeed many also believe this to be true of the Eleventh Goddess or so-called Devil of the Rhine.
Perhaps if the People of Letzenbourg let go of the story that a child prince was their Saint, the poor boy's memory could be cleared of any wrongdoing and the stain on his character could finally be removed. However, they stand firm to their belief that not only was he responsible for every famous and infamous act of the Saint of Letzenbourg, but also that one day he will return and assume the throne of the Republic of Letzenbourg. —Andrew WTN Special Correspondent.
December 5th Unified Year 1925 23:00
Dorm Room 107, Institut auf dem Rosenberg in St Gallen, Waldstätte Confederacy
The boy felt a lump in his throat and his vision blurred with tears as he stared down at the slip of paper poking through the fingers of his clenched fist. A hellish mix of emotions vied for supremacy in his mind, swamping his thoughts from the world around him. His head ached as anger, sorrow and despair crashed around his head like a winter storm. It almost felt as though he were drowning in it.
His future had been stolen from him.
Part of him refused to believe it was true, it couldn't be. There was no way the world could be so cruel, was there? Reluctantly he released his grip and unfurled the crumpled piece of paper in his hands; re-reading the words he had already read a hundred times in the impossible hope that they might have somehow changed.
Reinhardt Haussmann:
No sign of magical aptitude.
The words stung as much now as when he had first been told by the medical mage who had tested his class. He could still hear the laughter of the other children as he'd tried to tell the man there had been a mistake. He'd been telling everyone what a great mage his father was and how he would follow in his footsteps. He would join the Letzenbourg volunteers and become the next great ace!
The man had simply apologised and left him with the laughter and mocking barbs of his classmates. A constant string of insults and ridicule along with a new insulting mage name his bullies had gifted him with: Fools gold. They gave him a name that called him a fake, to prove that not only was he not a great mage like White Silver or the Saint but also to remind him that he wasn't one of them. To them he was just the son of a common soldier, he didn't belong here.
From then on school was even more torturous. They turned all his hopes into insults and without magical talent, he no longer had any hope of escaping this hellish place it felt like every word out of his classmates' mouths struck him like a stab through the heart. And now he knew he had no escape, it just pushed him further into his pit of depression.
The school chaplain had tried to make him feel better, telling him that he was being tested and that trials like this were all part of God's plan. That only made him feel worse, he'd wanted to be a mage to pass God's test, just like the old soldier had said. How could he do that now? How could this be part of his plan?
Why take this from me, God? I want to fight too! He'd wanted to cry out to the angel statues in the church, although he dared not say it aloud for fear the priest might punish him for it.
After a few more days of bullying passed, he knew enough was enough. He refused to accept the results, there had to have been some mistake. The medical mage was wrong. Father had been a powerful mage, it was impossible that he had no magical talent at all!
He'd skipped his classes, confident that only his bullies would miss him, and headed to the local mage bureau to demand a retest. He'd always been told that the bureau had better and more precise equipment than the medical mages they sent to the schools and orphanages. They even had ways to draw the potential out of late bloomers. Surely they would find something. Then he would show them all what he was made of!
He'd prayed as he waited for the final results to be delivered to the school dorms, still having to put up with the jeers and taunting of his schoolmates as he asked God to grant him what he wanted. It hadn't been enough, the results came back negative, driving another stake through his hopes and dreams. They'd even included an official certificate as proof.
Reinhardt Haussmann:
No sign of magical aptitude
Everything seemed so hopeless. He'd felt so empty since father died; it wasn't until he'd talked to the old soldier at the station that he'd felt some sort of purpose again. Now that had been robbed from him too.
It wasn't fair! It wasn't supposed to be this way! He was supposed to become a mage and serve the prince just like father. He was going to find out what the man had seen in the other boy, why he and so many others followed him and risked life and limb. Why did the old soldier continue to praise him when after losing his leg? Why had Father given his life for the prince and left him and mother behind?
Joining up was the only way he would understand, he was sure of it! But how could he do that now? Only those with magical talent could enlist at his age. No one would want him. He was just a useless kid.
He swallowed hard and blinked the tears from his eyes. It had been stupid to pray to God for help, why did he think that God would care anything about someone like him? He hadn't answered his prayers to stop the bullies or send him and his mother back home to Letzenbourg. He hadn't even answered his and his mother's prayers to keep father safe. Why had he expected He would give him the power of a mage?
Perhaps God only cared about people like the Saint and the Argent. Nobodies like him were not worthy of His attention.
He hadn't even tested high enough to qualify as a class C mage, those relegated to using the huge industrial orbs in the factories. If he'd managed that he could have at least helped the war by working. The propaganda pictures were always praising the hard-working heroes keeping the soldiers fed, clothed and ready to fight.
But he would be no hero, he would be never be anything special. Perhaps Father had known that all along, maybe that was the real reason he'd sent mother and him away.
No, that's not it! He mentally chastised himself, pushing the treacherous thought from his mind. The old soldier said that they'd been sent away because Father loved them; because soldiers both loved and hated the Saint. That they had to fight to clear their consciences. But what does that mean?
He tried to clear his mind and think about the old man'swords. He'd spent hours lying awake at night, or daydreaming during class, trying to understand what the man meant but the answer never seemed to find him.
I don't understand, how can you love and hate him!? He yelled inwardly mindful of the trouble he would be in if he were found awake at this hour before scrunching up the piece of paper and launching it across the dorm room in frustration.
He desperately needed to know what it meant, to understand what his father and the old soldier saw in Prince Wilhelm. If he were to ever find peace, he needed to know!
He took a deep breath and wiped the tears from his eyes. He had to remain strong, he couldn't sit here crying. What would father have said if he'd seen him like this?
He got to his feet and approached the window on unsteady feet, feeling hungry as he realised how long it had been since he last ate. He'd been locked in his room all day and missed all the meals at the school. He hoped mother wouldn't find out, he didn't want her to worry about him.
He poked his head through the curtain to look out onto the darkened school grounds. There was no one around at this hour.
The Institute was set in the outskirts of the sleepy town of Rosenberg and nestled at the foot of one of Waldstatte's many mountains. His mother would be safe at home, many miles away from the school but his thoughts didn't take him there. Instead, he stared at the shadow of the darkened mountain range, beyond that was the Empire, and further still, his true home. That is where he wanted to be.
Crossing back to his bed, he quickly packed some clothes and what few possessions he had before wrapping himself in a warm coat that had been gifted to him by his father. Carefully, he reached under his bed and produced a small padlocked box from its hiding place. His secret treasure.
He hesitated for a moment as he took the key from around his neck to unlock it. Was he really going to do this?
He pushed aside his doubt and quickly opened the box and pulled out a sizeable quantity of Imperial Marks and his passport which he had hidden inside. If mother knew he had taken them she would be furious, in fact, she'd likely be furious when she found out about all this anyway. He didn't like to worry her but he had made his decision, he had to do this.
Convinced he had everything he needed for the journey he returned to the window and carefully opened it. It was a long way down, too far to jump, but fortunately, he'd snuck away before and he knew the ivy that snaked up the dormitory's outer walls was strong enough to hold his weight.
Before long he felt the soft crunch of fresh snow under his boots and he dashed towards the shadow of a tree to hide himself from anyone who might be watching. Now he just needed to get out of the school grounds. He knew it would not be difficult. There was a guard at the gate but the prefects were all asleep leaving no one to patrol the grounds. The walls facing the mountain were easy enough to climb over when you didn't have to worry about getting caught.
Then he would simply have to find a train heading for home. He'd find some way to become a soldier no matter what.
You may not care much for people like me God, but I swear I'll find out what the old soldier meant. I'll find out why Father couldn't be with us.
December 6th Unified Year 1925
SIS Headquarters, St James's Court, Londinium
"The reports on the incident at Tripoli, sirs." The woman stated professionally as she passed the files to General Habergram and his guest Lord Halyfax before crossing to the far side of the room to prepare some tea. Habergram nodded his thanks but couldn't help note the look she shot him as she deposited the folder in his hands, her expression silently sending him the message: You're not going to like this.
He sighed and opened the folder, scanning the report for the most relevant details. She'd been right he didn't like what he saw.
It had been far from a clean operation. Every building within a hundred yards of the target had been all but destroyed by the Letzenbourg prince in retaliation for the attack. Witnesses reported that he flew into a rage and systematically tore down each building and attacked anyone inside. Dozens of people had been injured or killed as a result; it was lucky for the Libyans that most of the non-combatants had been cleared out before the ambush, but he doubted the separatists felt that way.
Of the bodies recovered, there was little left to identify them. Both blade and magical formula had seen to that.
It was an unexpected reaction from the boy, given his reputation no one had expected he was even capable of such savage violence. This was a boy known for advocating peace and offering his enemies the chance to flee or surrender before and during battles. Soldiers were often so moved by his impassioned calls for a cease to the hostilities that they lost the will to fight. Who would have guessed the Saint would do something like this?
The separatists had even been concerned about harming the boy and had made the effort to isolate him from his escorts to keep him safe. Although this had ultimately failed and tipped them off to the ambush. The Irony was not lost on Habergram.
They'd assumed that the target would be the greater threat and as a result had underestimated the boy. Hindsight proved how foolish this was. Even without proper mage equipment, the Saint was still an ace, he'd proven that he was a deadly foe in battle. They'd worked on the false assumption that such a gentle and trusting soul could be casually pushed aside and the Senussi had suffered for it.
It seemed that attacking someone close to him had been enough to rob him of that gentle disposition. They'd poked the bear and shown how dangerous it could be. Habergram hoped it wouldn't have wider repercussions.
The Prince and his destruction would not have necessarily been an issue by itself, it may have even been useful for driving a wedge between the Empire and their Illdoan allies. However, things were rarely as simple as that as the report went on to show.
Several of the Anti-mage rifles they had supplied to the Libyan separatists had been found amongst the dead, and as the manufacturer of such weapons, the finger of suspicion had fallen firmly on the Allied Kingdom. The cover story that the separatists had stolen them in the wake of Alealmayn was already a difficult pill for the Illdoans to swallow, now they were using them to assassinate targets in the cities the excuse seemed even more suspect.
And this wasn't even the worst the report had to offer.
"Are you seriously telling me that after all this you got the wrong woman?" Lord Halyfax the foreign secretary asked incredulously as he placed the folder on his lap. "What sort of an operation are you running here?"
"It was not technically our operation minister, but it would appear that the woman the Senussi attacked was not the intended target." General Habergram replied rubbing his temples in the vain effort to drive off the approaching migraine that this situation had brought on. "The separatists mistook the Prince's maid for the true target. They were not aware they were identical twins."
Saying it aloud made the entire thing seem all the more farcical and Habergram couldn't help comparing the entire thing to Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors. Twins and mistaken identity had been the theme of that play too, however, tragedy hadn't tainted that story as it had these events. And the blame for that tragedy may soon be laid at their doorstep.
"Official or not, our weapons were still found at the scene, and I know they were working through the target list you gave them." Halyfax replied with more than a hint of rebuke, "Damn it all! Illdoan citizens have died, and it looks suspiciously like we set the whole thing up!"
"I was under the impression that the Libyan people weren't considered Illdoan citizens." Habergram said dryly, annoyed by the foreign minister's accusatory tone. He knew the man had a point, but he had no control over the Senussi and their separatist group, at least not in a direct capacity. "They certainly weren't citizens during the imprisonments and executions over the last few years."
"You know how this makes us look don't you?" Halyfax continued, ignoring the General's remark. Habergram wondered if the sign of a good diplomat was the ability not to hear things that you didn't like. "Am I really supposed to tell the new Prime Minister Illdoa might join the war over a case of mistaken identity?"
Habergram suspected Churbull wouldn't lose much sleep over any hostilities with Ildoa. He had been pushing for policies that reduced Illdoan influence in the southern sea for years, in any other circumstances he would likely jump at the chance to relieve them of their colonies in North Afrika. Even with the pressures of the war with the Empire, he might just decide to risk making more enemies to achieve that goal.
Habergram thought it better to keep these thoughts to himself, however, and he took a moment to calm his smouldering temper. He understood that Lord Halyfax had been put in a difficult situation, he didn't envy the diplomat's job to try and smooth this over. Additionally, his department was crucially intertwined with the country's intelligence services, it would not do to sow discourse during times of war. He would allow the man to vent his frustration at him for now.
"Who was this woman you were targeting anyway?" Halyfax continued flipping through the pages of the dossier once again. "Why was she so important? Surely she couldn't be worth all this."
"Sophia Zerbist. She was one of Admiral Canaris' protégées and the one to bring most of our network in the Empire down." Habergram replied carefully as the woman who had brought them the files returned to the desk and placed a cup and saucer in front of them both.
Halyfax fell silent and studied Habergram for a moment.
As one of the highest members of government, Lord Halyfax had been briefed on the intelligence disaster that had befallen them in the wake of Canaris' death. He also knew that they were still frantically trying to rebuild their spy network in the Empire, and there were still individuals roaming around that could compromise their efforts. Or even worse, learn about Project Ultra.
"I see. We'll do what we can to calm things down diplomatically, but it would help if you could give us something to work with." He said eventually clearing his throat and breaking off the staring contest before rallying slightly. "And while you're at it, make sure the damned fool who forgot to mention to the Senussi that the girl had a twin sister is punished!"
Habergram frowned, such an action would be impossible even at the best of times.
"Minister, I don't believe our agent can be held responsible. I know the man, he isn't the sort to make mistakes. The Senussi must–″
"Damn it all Donald! Someone has to pay the piper, I demand the agent who contacted the separatists resigns!"
"That may be difficult Lord Halyfax." The woman piped up suddenly causing the minister to turn in surprise. "Since he is in the Unified States and working under your ministry for the moment. You specifically asked that we reassign him early if you recall. You could of course have him suspended and brought back but that may unnecessarily complicate our dealings with the Americans."
Habergram chuckled as Halyfax stared at the woman, struck dumb that she had dared interject so bluntly into what he must have thought was a private conversation. Gradually his expression reddened as his disbelief turned to anger at the interruption and Habergram felt it prudent to step in.
"Lord Halyfax, this is another of our agents, for the moment she is known as Ms Jane Doe." He supplied as she curtsied, seemingly unperturbed by the minister's annoyance. "One of the young ladies Mr John has been training."
Halyfax's anger turned to confusion as he glanced between the two of them. He'd been left off balance by the turn of events and now seemed to be unsure as to how to proceed. Even though they had started employing more women in both the government and military, it was far from usual to give them anything but menial filing jobs. To hear that a woman was doing something so important in Habergram's department must have been quite the shock. He had no qualms about it however, with so many recruits being taken by the other military departments, he was willing to take every capable person he could get.
"My apologies, I was under the impression you were just a…" He trailed off slightly under the dispassionate glare of the woman.
"You were under the impression I was a mere secretary sir." She replied calmly causing the diplomat to shuffle uncomfortably in his seat. "I'm gratified my act was so convincing, there would be little point in a spy that was not."
Habergram struggled not to smile. John had warned that Jane was a bit of a handful, but it was clear that she had great potential as an agent. Unlike her mentor, her looks were more than enough to turn a few heads, however, she shared the man's gift for blending into the background and going unnoticed when necessary. She had a keen mind, as her razor wit attested, but she had also proven adept at numbers and cyphers. A talent that had been most useful in her most recent assignment.
"I invited Ms Doe to join us as she has been working with Ultra alongside Professor Turning." Habergram explained, saving the minister from further embarrassment as Jane took this as her cue.
"The General thought it might be of interest that the Professor has been working day and night to decode intercepted Illdoan transmissions. Including those from the diplomatic corps. I believe you will find what we have useful." The woman supplied, retrieving another file from her tea tray and passing it to the foreign minister. "It appears the Illdoans believe the target of the attack was Prince Wilhelm and they fear the Empire may declare war in retaliation to an attack on their Royal family. Crucially the military insists they are not ready for such a conflict and General Gassman is trying to paint the picture that they are the victims to the Imperial diplomats."
The foreign minister's mood lifted at the news. It seemed to Habergram that diplomacy wasn't all that different from a game of poker; any gambler would be more than happy to know what cards their opponent was holding.
"Excellent work! Please pass my compliments to the young professor, his dedication does him credit. Not even a fine young woman like yourself could distract him from his duties, eh?" The minister joked, trying to lift the mood.
"I assure you I am no distraction to Professor Turning." She stated dryly, clearly unimpressed by Lord Halyfax's attempt at levity. "I can however vouch for his devotion to queen and country."
The room fell into an awkward silence as again the foreign minister squirmed under the woman's cold stare. Habergram found himself suppressing a smile once again. Perhaps I should consider putting her in charge of interrogation. Any girl that can silence Halyfax is a force to be reckoned with.
"Perhaps we should move on." Habergram interjected, saving Halyfax from the clutches of the female agent. "Any news from Mr John in the Unified States? I don't suppose they've come to their senses and are offering assistance, are they?"
"Their government is watching the situation with concern, but the public is still against any sort of intervention." Halyfax replied glumly. "They are willing to sell and manufacture for us but they aren't exactly doing us any favours. This war will be ruinous to the public purse. Mr John suggested sharing the Mana Fused Alloys research in lieu of payment, but the cabinet has some concerns."
Habergram's eyes widened. It was hardly surprising that the government was divided on this issue. The Mana Fused Alloys research was a secret project to attempt to split the atom using magic and ultimately weaponize it. It had long been theorised that such a thing was possible but most other nations had considered the task ultimately impossible with current technological limitations.
It had only been after Habergram's department had procured the specifications of the Imperial Elenium type 97 orbs that Albish scientists had made a breakthrough although they were still only in the very early stages. Habergram feared what would happen if the Imperial's realised they had unlocked such power and he made sure to check the reports for any sign they were looking into such research. Even though they had a head start, it was entirely possible imperial scientists might be able to catch up and make a weapon before they did.
Negotiations must have been difficult if Mr John had suggested this information should be shared with the Americans. He wouldn't have suggested it lightly; they were almost as wary of the yanks having it as the imperials
"Ultimately, the PM will have the final say and I think we know what he would prefer." Halyfax continued draining his tea and getting to his feet, "If there's nothing else I better be going, I have a meeting with the Illdoan Ambassador."
"One more thing Lord Halyfax." Habergram interjected as the man turned to leave his office. "We've had reports of some unusual activity in the Russy Federation, I'd appreciate you telling the embassy staff to keep a closer eye on things."
Halyfax raised an eyebrow but simply nodded before quickly exiting the room, leaving the spy and spymaster alone in the office.
"Unusual activity is perhaps an understatement sir. Russy troops are beginning to mobilise at the Empire's Borders." Jane observed once the minister was out of earshot.
"I've already told the Prime minister." Habergram replied, "He thought it better not to worry the diplomats until we know if they are against us or not. They still have a non-aggression pact after all."
"What do you think? Are they with us or against us?" Jane questioned.
Habergram was silent for a moment. He'd been thinking on the same question since he'd heard the news.
"You know the old saying, the enemy of my enemy is my friend?" He replied eventually, "Right now we need every friend we can get."
December 6th Unified Year 1925
General von Romel's Temporary Command Centre, Turus Government building
"With Respect sir, I believe Captain Hozollern's actions fall well within the definition of self-defence." Tanya argued coolly as she tried to calm an understandably exasperated General von Romel.
Wilhelm had caused quite a mess in Tripoli and the potential political implications of the incident had caused the General a great deal of concern. They'd been told there was a string of diplomatic telegrams being sent between Berlun and Roma as the politicians tried to figure out exactly what to do. A similar number of communiques arrived hourly here at the command centre, from both the continent and General Gassman's office in Tripoli, with each message often contradicting the last.
In truth, Tanya wasn't especially happy about the situation either. There was a real possibility that the incident might cause the Illdoans to rescind their offer to help with the supply situation, something that could be disastrous for the entire campaign. However, as Wilhelm's superior officer she was expected to defend the boy as best she could. It was one of the annoying little expectations within the military that you had to at least put up a token defence when your subordinate does something stupid, even if it was all just for show.
In this case, however, she was confident she could make a reasonable argument for the boy. Although he'd gone a little overboard, there was justification for his actions. Everyone was entitled to the right to defend themselves; that was only common sense. If the Salaryman had been given the opportunity, he would have happily used that right to deal with the irrational idiot that had caused his untimely demise.
Unfortunately, Wilhelm had used an uncharacteristic lack of self-restraint while defending himself, even for him. Or rather, he hadn't hidden his brutality behind his usual innocent façade. There had been no false attempts at peace or begging for the enemy to surrender, just unadulterated violence. Even she would admit the self-defence argument was being stretched a little in this case.
Wilhelm had been ambushed by Libyan separatists in the Illdoan colonial city and Christina Zerbist had been amongst the casualties. In retaliation, the little captain had flown into a rage and killed several people and left more injured. Unfortunately, these people were technically all civilians, or at least they were not part of an officially recognised militia or military force. Illdoan citizens to boot, although all were born and raised in Libya, meaning that the situation had been muddied with both international and colonial politics.
It was obvious the so-called victims were terrorists, likely the same group that had been appearing and disappearing in the desert and attacking their camps and supply trains. Unfortunately, since Wilhelm had killed or otherwise incapacitated anyone that could confirm that, the legal justification for Wilhelm's actions were now being questioned by General Gassman's deputy, Colonel Calandro.
You don't make my life easy do you, Wilhelm? She thought shooting the boy a look. If he noticed the silent rebuke, he chose not to react. Instead continuing to glare at the floor as though it had personally insulted him, fists clenched and shaking slightly. He'd barely said a word since they had found him.
"The bodies of the separatists engaged by the captain were all armed with Albish anti-mage rifles. One masquerading as a merchant appears to have been storing them." Tanya continued, producing her facts in a calm professional manner despite the feeling of unease in her stomach. Wilhelm hadn't left much of the corpses to help his case but the fact that they were armed with Albish weapons made it obvious they weren't simple civilians, no matter what the Illdoans claimed.
"It's likely he came under assault from the same separatist group that has been harassing our convoys. By both the rules of war and Illdoan law he is entitled to defend himself."
She was fairly pleased with herself on the last part. She wasn't sure if Wilhelm would be accused of breaking criminal or military laws, so she'd had to do some research while she had been investigating the aftermath of Wilhelm's temper tantrum. It hadn't been easy to obtain a copy of the Illdoan law code on such short notice, but it had been worth the trouble. As always, the law had an exploitable loophole. The foolish might say that rules are meant to be broken, but Tanya knew that way led to anarchy; rules are made to be used and exploited.
"That may be the case Major, but you saw the aftermath." General von Romel returned with an uncomfortable frown, "He demolished an entire block! You documented the damage in your own report. It's difficult to call that defending oneself?"
Tanya winced at the General's words, she supposed it would be too much to ask that he might choose to ignore that little detail. This was where things got a little trickier on the legal front.
They had been contacted by General Gassman asking for assistance not long after the incident, and as the quick reaction force, the 203rd had been sent to reinforce them. However, when they arrived they were shocked to find that it wasn't the terrorists that were the problem, it was Wilhelm.
Tanya had found him kneeling in the middle of what had once been a large plaza; covered in blood and cradling the form of Christina Zerbist in his arms. Every one of the buildings surrounding the square had been flattened by artillery spells and the Illdoan soldiers reported that the boy had fired upon anyone who attempted to approach. They feared the sobbing boy was not in his right mind and without mage support they didn't dare get close enough to find out.
She couldn't blame them. Wilhelm had developed an undeserved reputation for mercy during his career, but on this occasion, he had offered no quarter whatsoever. Anyone unfortunate enough to face Wilhelm at short range had been sliced beyond almost all recognition. To anyone who believed the fanciful tale of the Saint, it must have seemed like he had snapped completely. One Illdoan had commented that he'd turned from angel to demon in an instant.
Tanya knew the Wilhelm behind the reputation however, she'd seen the boy be just as cruel and merciless before, perhaps more so in his own twisted way. He had always been willing to push the limits of so-called morality if it served to further his own goals, but anything polite society might question was hidden behind the fictional character of the Saint.
What concerned her was that he had acted without a care for what his actions might do to the myth he had built around himself. He was usually so careful to keep up the appearance, even when it was a detriment to him. That he had so dramatically abandoned the persona was strange, to say the least. Perhaps he really had snapped.
"I did indeed see the damage, sir. However, according to the rules of war on land, destruction or seizure of enemy property is permissible if imperatively demanded by the necessities of war. Since the captain was unable to locate the enemy firing upon him, depriving them of a place to attack became a tactical necessity. It's not dissimilar to how we dealt with the situation in Arene, albeit on a smaller scale." Tanya replied, aware that she was stretching a little to make her argument.
Still, it was technically true. From a tactical perspective removing the enemy's fortifications was a sound and logical action in any theatre of warfare. It was the terrorist forces that were at fault for using civilian buildings for this purpose. Of course, it would be easier if Wilhelm had left any of them alive to prove that they were indeed terrorists, but Wilhelm had been frustratingly efficient with his bloodletting today. If she didn't know better, she might think he was making her life difficult on purpose.
"I read your paper on Arene, and the reports." Romel replied with a frown, "Your argument hinges on there being no civilians present and those buildings being designated as under enemy control. There's a question over whether this is the case, additionally, the buildings were owned by Illdoan citizens and Colonel Calandro has already raised a protest on their behalf."
"If there were civilians in the buildings it is the responsibility of those taking over that building for military purposes to ensure that civilians are removed." Tanya stated matter-of-factly, pleased that she still remembered her lessons from the war college. Not for the first time, she wondered if she'd be suited to the legal profession after the war.
"If property damage is the primary concern, then it is a case for the civil courts. It's nothing to do with the military." Tanya continued feeling triumphant, if it were a civil manner then it wasn't her problem or even Wilhelm's really. The lawyers lucky enough to take the case could argue over the issue for as long as the money held out, they could probably even charge some fine Illdoan cuisine to the expense sheet. Meanwhile, she could wash her hands of the mess and continue to keep an eye on Wilhelm, although she'd have to make sure to put him back on a tighter leash.
"That may be Major, but the political ramifications make this much more complicated than that."
"Sir if I may interject, I don't believe there can be any political ramifications until General Gassman's office has explained why Albish weapons were in the hands of its civilians in the first place." Tanya added, feeling the time was right to use her trump card. The Illdoans had to be either incompetent when it came to the rule of their colonies or complicit with the Albish selling weapons to their citizens. No matter what, it would essentially let Wilhelm off the hook. "We should use this opportunity to find where—"
"Enough!" Wilhelm spat causing both her and Romel to fall silent as the boy interjected on his own defence for the first time. "I don't care about any of this! I have diplomatic immunity. This argument is pointless!"
Both Tanya and Romel stared at the boy open-mouthed for a moment. Both were surprised by the boy's disrespectful tone although perhaps for different reasons.
Wilhelm was, in his own way a master of signalling theory, and usually projected an unflinchingly friendly demeanour around the higher-ups to promote his self-image. It infuriated her because she knew what he was doing and could see through him, but in truth, she had always been begrudgingly impressed. Particularly since he was so adept at using his young age to his advantage, something she had often found difficult during her career thus far.
He had all but destroyed that image with a few simple words. Worse still, he had endangered her carefully crafted defence.
She felt another knot of concern twist in her stomach. This wasn't like the little captain she knew, he would never allow General von Romel to see this side of him. Had this incident really affected him so profoundly? Was this grief or a symptom of PTSD? She couldn't be sure, and she didn't like it. Wilhelm may have been unstable enough at the best of times, but if the stresses of the war and his debt to Being X were finally overwhelming him as she'd always feared, he would become even more difficult to control.
However, his potential mental breakdown also held another worry.
She'd come to think of him like a barometer to measure the effects of the stress that the war and Being X were putting them under. If he were feeling the strain so profoundly, would she soon begin feeling its effects too? If so, she would need to find a way to manage this problem, even if it meant helping Wilhelm back to his annoying self.
Ideally, she would prefer to leave the army's professional support personnel to help him through this mental instability. However she already knew this was a lost cause, Wilhelm's mistrust of medical professionals was well known and she knew he would resist any further attempts to remove him from frontline duty.
This meant she would likely have to allow him to vent his frustrations at her later if he were to keep him under control, although she would hardly rate herself as much of a councillor. For now, though, she had to prevent him from saying anything that might damage their professional reputations and talk General von Romel down from punishing him for his disrespectful manner.
"I understand that you are upset Prince Wilhelm but please try to understand our situation." General von Romel began, in a curiously calm tone. Much to Tanya's surprise, he didn't seem to be too upset by the boy's attitude. Fortunately for them, they had a forgiving superior officer. Either that or he was too preoccupied with the supply situation to notice. "Although it's true you have diplomatic immunity, there are still political concerns. It's better if we can paint you as an innocent party in all this."
"Are you implying we have anything to be guilty of?" The little captain's voice darkened as he levelled a sullen scowl in the General's direction.
She was aware from her time as the Salaryman that there were guidelines allowing a modicum of leeway on such emotional outbursts in difficult situations like this, but the boy was going too far. He had been unable to recompose himself and now his behaviour might reflect badly on her.
"Wilhelm, that's enough." Tanya uttered in a warning tone.
He fixed her with a hard glare for a moment before eventually backing down. Thankfully he hadn't lost all sense yet and he returned to his seat with a muttered apology and went back to staring at his feet.
"There won't be any repercussions for the expeditionary force." The boy growled quietly after a few moments, not bothering to raise his gaze from the floor. "An Albish sponsored terrorist attack on an imperial diplomat happened on Illdoan soil. If they don't denounce the group it will practically be a declaration of war against the Empire. The Illdoans don't want that, Gassman had his deputy complain to muddy the water and distract from their inability to control their colonies."
Wilhelm's voice was strained as he spoke through gritted teeth. He still wasn't making much effort to hide behind his usual façade but he was at least attempting to hold his temper in check for now.
"Berlun will respond with a protest and the Illdoans will claim to be victims of the Allied Kingdom's meddling, conveniently sidestepping any blame." The boy added clenching his fist tightly enough that Tanya noticed his knuckles turning white. "In the meantime, Gassman will graciously offer to continue to escort our supplies. He'll be praised by both sides for decreasing the tensions. The bastard will come out of this whole affair smelling of roses, but the expedition will be unaffected."
Tanya could see Wilhelm's reasoning, Gassman had a reputation as a political mover and shaker and Illdoa had nothing to gain from further antagonising the Empire. She had to admit she was quite impressed that Wilhelm could determine the Illdoan General's motives even whilst he was in such an irrational state of mind. She supposed when you made a career out of lies and politicking, it was second nature to spot those of someone else.
"You're certain?" Romel asked warily, still understandably concerned about the supply situation. Tanya wondered if this was part of the reason he had never been made a member of the General staff, he was doubtless a great field commander but didn't seem to have the head for this kind of politics.
"Gassman doesn't want to risk this escalating into a conflict. The Illdoans are benefiting too much from this one-sided alliance and Berlun doesn't want another front in this war." The boy assured them, "Although I wouldn't shed a tear if we burned Roma to the ground."
The last part was barely audible, said in a whisper under his breath and Tanya almost missed it. Surely he didn't really mean that? She often called him bloodthirsty but she didn't think he was that bad. He usually at least tried to conform to the moral standards enforced by society, his mind really must be muddled to say such a thing out loud. Her worries about the boy seemed to grow more by the second.
"General, may I be excused. I'd like to see her." The little Captain said eventually, slowly raising his head to reveal a pair of exhausted and bloodshot eyes.
"Yes…You're both dismissed." The General replied shooting Tanya a meaningful look as they both got up to leave. It seemed Wilhelm's odd behaviour had been noted by the General too, she may need to dissuade him from levelling further punitive action against him until he is in a better state of mind.
She didn't have much time to dwell on how to accomplish this however as Wilhelm quickly made his way out of the command centre and towards the commandeered hospital next to the government building. Under the circumstances, she thought it best to accompany him.
He barrelled through the entranceway of the hospital, slamming the doors open much to the surprise of those inside and heedless of the complaints of the staff. However, their protests were quickly silenced by the glare the boy gave to everyone present. It seemed nobody was willing to get between Wilhelm and his goal.
With all complaints silenced, Wilhelm continued his march through the corridors of the hospital, still wearing a face like thunder and ignoring all of her calls for him to stop and compose himself. Despite her slightly longer legs and height advantage, she struggled to keep up with him as he advanced purposefully towards his destination.
He took no notice of his surroundings, instead of trusting that anyone who would dare cause an obstacle would quickly move out of his way. For the most part, this worked, with startled medical and military personnel practically leaping out of the irate captain's path as he approached. However, as he rounded a corner the boy walked straight into the towering form of Captain Weiss.
At first, the boy looked as though he might explode at whoever had dared get in his way. However, as soon as he realised it was Weiss he had collided with, his anger immediately evaporated, only to be replaced with a withdrawn morose as he mumbled a hasty apology. Tanya couldn't help but notice that Wilhelm's eyes never met with that of his taller colleague.
"Prince Wilhelm, Major... I assume you're here to see Christina." Weiss observed mournfully but still managed to show his professionalism with a textbook salute. His eyes were red with tiredness and he too wore a sad frown.
Of course, Weiss and Miss Zerbist had been getting quite close recently; perhaps this incident has affected him too. I may have to cut him a little slack for a while if he's to maintain standards in the battalion. At least he seems to be dealing with it better than Wilhelm.
"That's correct Captain Weiss." Tanya confirmed when it became clear that the usually talkative Wilhelm would not be supplying the answer. She paused for a moment as she formed her next words, the Salaryman had always struggled in this area of human resource management. "Under the circumstances, it might be wise if you take a few days leave, we should be able to spread the extra workload across the other company heads."
They were mostly being deployed one company at a time for the moment. Their standing orders were to support the units on the ground so losing Weiss for a few days shouldn't cause too much extra work. It would be worth it to help ensure the good mental health of her deputy. She doubted it would be so easy to deal with Wilhelm though.
"Thank you, Major, but that won't be necessary." Weiss replied with a wry smile, much to Tanya's surprise. "She would never forgive me if I shirked my duties just to keep an eye on her. I'll be happier if I stay busy, I'm sure she would be too."
He seemed sincere, he was obviously more mentally robust than the boy standing next to her. Her war maniacs never ceased to amaze. Personally, she would have taken the leave and enjoyed her time away from the front but she was willing to accept the man's decision. At least it wouldn't cause her any extra work.
Wilhelm seemed equally as moved by Weiss' words, although in an entirely different way. He simply mumbled an agreement while continuing to stare at the floor dejectedly, still refusing to look at his fellow captain.
"Christina the St Gerard ward." Weiss continued, gesturing towards one of the doors. "Sophia and the Doctor are still in there with her."
Tanya supplied a thanks as Wilhelm hurried past the man and towards the room that Weiss had indicated. Wilhelm still did not seem inclined to be very talkative and Tanya had to brush aside a twinge of annoyance as she again covered for his antisocial behaviour. However, as she began following the boy Weiss made her pause with a few quiet words.
"Major, please keep an eye on him."
The phrase only increased her mounting unease as to what to do about Wilhelm. Even those who had fallen completely for Wilhelm's deceptions could clearly see something was not right with the boy. It was more proof that this incident had adversely affected his already fragile mental state.
She followed the boy into the room where Miss Zerbist was being kept, an intensive care ward where medical mages and doctors alike looked after those in a critical condition. She was pleased to see the ward mostly empty, a mix of good tactics and the marvels of magical healing meant that there had been few casualties requiring such attention. This surplus of resources was perhaps the reason they had been able to save the maid's life.
It was the second Zerbist sister that they saw first. Captain Sophia Zerbist stood at the foot of a bed, partially hidden by a medical curtain. She had yet to notice her and Wilhelm and was engrossed in a deep conversation with one of the doctors, an older man with greying hair and the stereotypical white coat. However, as they approached, there was a flicker of recognition in her eyes as she saw Wilhelm, before her expression sank.
"My Prince…" She began but her voice trailed off as she saw the boy's gaze fall on the broken form of Christina.
The maid lay unconscious on the hospital bed, her body wrapped in bandages like a baby might be swaddled in blankets. She was gaunt and pale, likely through loss of blood, and her lips and fingertips took on a blueish hue. She was still, barely breathing as she clung onto life; each soft intake of breath from the oxygen tank threatening to be her last.
"What is the prognosis?" Wilhelm asked in a quiet shaky voice, staring at the injured woman with an unreadable expression.
"We've managed to stabilise her condition." The doctor explained, "She may yet need more blood transfusions but we believe she will live."
Wilhelm's expression softened with relief as he heard the man's words but his frown returned as the doctor continued.
"There are some long term complications, however. Her injuries are extensive and we are currently unable to wake her from her coma. Additionally at least one of the bullets passed through the base of her spine causing severe trauma. She will likely be paralysed from the waist down, we don't know if she'll ever walk again."
Tanya only caught a brief look at the little captain's eyes before he squeezed his eyes shut as though in physical pain. In the moment she did see them, she saw a powerful mix of guilt and anguish in his tearful green orbs, as though all the emotion he was barely keeping contained was attempting to escape through them.
Tanya was not known for her empathy; both she and the Salaryman had been criticised for their lack of it on several occasions, although neither had ever really understood why. However, even she could feel a measure of what Wilhelm was feeling as she caught the sadness in the boy's eyes and she felt her chest tighten in sympathy.
It reminded her of the time She'd seen Visha's orb shatter on the Rhine. The feelings of panic as she fell, the near-crippling fear that she'd lose someone so close to her. She still wasn't sure if they were her own feelings or a symptom of the mental corruption that Being X had inflicted upon her but even the memories of such feelings were something she never wanted to repeat. Neither would she wish them on anyone but her worst enemy.
Wilhelm was feeling this way and for once he had her complete and sincerest sympathies. Although, it was strange; she had only experienced it because she had feared losing her trusted adjutant. He hadn't lost Christina. True she was injured but she had survived, why did he still feel so torn up?
"There have been great strides made in the fields of mana-based healing in the past few years." The doctor continued, seeming to notice the boy's pain and attempting to off him some comfort. "The Empire is home to some of the best medical minds in the world, with treatment, Miss Zerbist can still live a very full life should she awaken."
Wilhelm did not reply and Tanya took a moment to regard the second sister as the room fell silent.
She wore the same tired mournful expression as Captain Weiss as she stared at the injured maid, but she did not seem surprised by the doctor's assessment. Both sister and romantic interest had likely been by the governess's side the entire time she realised; Captain Zerbist may have even been one of the donors for the blood transfusions the doctor had mentioned. Both must have known the full extent of Christina's injuries long before Wilhelm.
The second sister's gaze did not linger on the maid for long, however, instead returning to Wilhelm before contorting into worry for her young master.
"My Prince, I'm sure Christina is happy you visited but you're obviously exhausted. When did you last sleep?" She began, perhaps trying to fill in for the responsibilities of her older sibling. Her assessment wasn't wrong however, the boy looked mentally, physically and emotionally drained, a dangerous mix in almost any career. Tanya wouldn't have dared put him on duty in his current state. "As the doctor said, she's stable for now. You should get some rest and come back—."
"Doctor, when can Christina be transferred to a hospital in the Empire?" Wilhelm replied cutting off the second sister.
"Erm…Well, as I said, she may need more blood transfusions but she can probably be transferred to a hospital ship by the end of the week now that some of the docks are being cleared." The doctor replied awkwardly, taken aback by Wilhelm's sudden interjection. "But I wouldn't advise moving her too—."
"See that's she's sent to the best the Empire has to offer as soon as possible." The boy interrupted again still staring at the broken form of his servant laying in the bed. "I want Sophia to go with her, you are to put her on indefinite medical leave."
Tanya and the younger Zerbist sister shared the same expression of shock at the boy's words. What was he thinking? It was the height of foolishness to dismiss one of his closest and most skilled of subordinates at a time like this, particularly in his current state. On top of that, he was proposing to do so by having her removed for medical reasons, something that was obviously untrue and could get him in an awful lot of trouble.
"You're sending me away? You can't!" Sophia asked incredulously, almost insulted at the prospect. "My Prince, I know you're upset but—."
"Be quiet! This is for the best." Wilhelm snapped cutting the woman off with a sideways glare. "Doctor?"
"Prince Wilhelm, I can't simply send officers back home for no reason." The doctor stammered apologetically, clearly uncomfortable at being put in the middle of such an awkward conversation. "There are regulations and…"
The doctor's words trailed off as Wilhelm produced his wallet from his inside pocket and tossed it onto one of the nearby medical trays with an audible thud.
"8000 marks and my gratitude, that should be enough to deal with any problems you encounter." The boy's voice was soft and emotionless as he spoke, completely void of any of his usual charm and vigour.
It was a hefty sum to be carrying around in your pocket. It amounted to over a year's worth of pay for the rank of Major, including the active service pay. It seemed the rumour that royalty doesn't carry cash was untrue, although Tanya found herself wishing that it was.
Bribery now Wilhelm? Thought Tanya as the Doctor reached for the wallet with round eyes. She found herself feeling a curious mix of shock, concern and disappointment as she stared at the boy in disbelief.
This wasn't right, this wasn't her Wilhelm.
The Wilhelm she knew revelled in talking people around to get his way, he enjoyed the challenge. He may have resorted to bribery with her in the past but even then everything was wrapped up in flowery words and presented for effect and never simply cold hard cash. It was almost as though someone had sucked the essence of what was Wilhelm out of him, she may have wished for him to be less of a brat but she didn't mean like this.
The fact he was so openly committing his malfeasance to get his way also troubled her. It may not have been especially unusual for him to casually ignore the military regulations he didn't like but he would usually at least pretend to work within the rules, particularly in front of her. Surely he must know she wouldn't allow him to get away with this.
"Yes, of course, I'll see to it." Replied the doctor now counting his newfound wealth as Sophia looked to her imploringly. It seemed even those closest to him had no idea how to deal with Wilhelm when he was like this. That mean it was up to her to prevent him from doing something damaging.
"Doctor, these officers are in my battalion. You need my leave to reassign them without good reason." Tanya began, trying to ignore the dirty look that Wilhelm was giving her. "Additionally, taking a bribe in exchange for medical leave could count as at least three separate offences for a court-martial. I suggest you reassess your actions here."
"They'll be no court-martial." Wilhelm hissed as the doctor glanced between them. "Doctor, I believe the Major is tired, perhaps you should have her relieved for a few days."
Tanya's eyes widened in surprise, Wilhelm hadn't been this wilfully disobedient since the rooftops of Letzenbourg. He'd really lost it. Why was he so committed to having both his servants back to the Empire? Why was he willing to risk punishment to see it happen? She found herself stunned into silence, despite the indignant fury that she felt building at the boy's behaviour.
"Now Prince Wilhelm maybe—."
A second thud filled the air as Wilhelm placed a fine golden wristwatch on the tray as well. It was obviously too small for the man, having been adjusted for Wilhelm's tiny wrists. However, the quality of the timepiece was obvious, and the tell-tale shimmer on the face told her that it was inlaid with precious stones. It was likely worth far more than the money the boy had given him earlier.
"The Major is tired." The boy repeated darkly, "I will see to it that any complaint against you will be dropped. I want Christina and Sophia on the way home before the week is out."
How dare he! Tanya screamed inwardly, that Wilhelm had the audacity to use a corrupt doctor to remove her from duty, even temporarily, was unthinkable. He must know there was no way she would allow it.
Wilhelm turned to leave ignoring the cries from Sophia who was clearly torn as to whether to follow the boy or stay with her injured sister. Tanya did not have such a conundrum and now that rage had replaced shock, her feet propelled her forward and out of the room towards the rapidly retreating Wilhelm.
"What the Hell do you think you're doing!?" She yelled as she caught up with him in the corridor, grasping him on the shoulder and forcing him to turn to face her.
"Saving what I have left!" The boy replied, his voice breaking slightly as he spoke.
Tanya found her rage halted for a moment in front of the face of the little captain. He was on the verge of tears and his eyes showed a deep, almost haunted pain. His body shook slightly as though it were ready to explode and he seemed smaller, as though he were somehow diminished.
This is not the time to feel sorry for him, I need to stop him from doing anything stupid.
"What are you talking about?" She replied quickly rallying by galvanising her anger into something usable. "How does sending away your subordinates and relieving me with fraudulent actions do anything to save anything? You know there was no way I would let you get away with this!"
"You can't stop me! You can try to punish me all you like but they're going home!" Wilhelm yelled sounding more and more like a petulant child. "If I could, I'd send you away too."
Tanya felt another flare of anger at the boy and his irrational behaviour, if only he would stop and think for a minute, he'd realise how stupid he was being. At least he was wise enough not to try and have her also sent back to the Empire for medical reasons, there was no way she would allow it. Without a clear reason, a doctor could send her away from the front would be for psychological issues, ironically such as what Wilhelm was suffering now. If she were sent back for that she would be marked for the rest of her life.
Being assigned rest for a few days was bad enough, but at least it would only be seen as a sign of overwork. Being sent away for an extended period was a sign of weakness that would destroy all chances of future career progression.
She took a deep breath and attempted to calm herself, this was getting her nowhere. She had to calm down and approach this rationally, Wilhelm might not be in his right mind but shouting at him was obviously only making things worse. She needed to try a different tack.
"Wilhelm, you're acting irrationally." She said adopting a more conciliatory tone, "It's understandable that you're upset about Miss Zerbist but I don't understand—."
"No, you don't understand!" Wilhelm snapped as a tear began to slip down the boy's cheek. "Christina's life ended because of me!"
Tanya stared at the boy with confusion, what he was saying made no sense. True, Christina had been injured but she hadn't died and there was good reason to assume that she would make a recovery. And he hadn't been responsible for the injuries in the first place, why was he blaming himself?
"You heard the doctor, she'll never walk again. Everything I hoped for her is gone now. I destroyed her life; maybe Weiss' too. She'll never forgive me, and she never should. I destroyed her."
Tanya was struggling to get her head around the boy's thought processes. Although a disability such as paralysis could limit some opportunities, it didn't mean that the maid would no longer be a productive and useful member of society. The Salaryman could remember several persons of note that hadn't let something like a physical infirmity stop them. Wasn't there a famous physicist that had been wheelchair-bound? Even one of the US Presidents had been confined to a chair, it didn't seem to have any adverse effects on their prospects.
However, there was one other thing that puzzled her more.
"How exactly did you destroy her life? Unless you've been secretly working for the Libyans, I don't see how it could possibly be your fault."
"Of course, it's my fault!" The boy replied, openly weeping now. "Do you think the Commonwealth would try to assassinate a maid? I was the target, and she took the bullet for me. I might as well have been the one to pull the trigger!"
Suddenly his strange insistence on taking responsibility made sense. It was true that out of the two of them he was the most likely to be the target but that still didn't make it his fault. There was always a certain amount of personal responsibility when it came to protecting yourself. Besides, she was his subordinate, she was supposed to protect him; surely Wilhelm hadn't been naive enough to assume that simply being around him made them immune from danger.
"That's why I need to send Sophia away too." The boy sobbed as he continued, "I lost Haussmann and Christina already; I don't want to lose her too."
Tanya sighed as she finally understood. The shock of this incident had made Wilhelm adopt a strategy of loss aversion. Like a nervous investor in the stock market, he was so fearful of further loss that he was willing to go to any lengths to protect what he already had. It was usually a dangerous and short-sighted approach but it was understandable. Fear of loss was a great motivator but it caused people to make irrational decisions.
"Wilhelm, you can't—."
"I can!" The boy said tearing himself away from her grasp. "It's better that they are away from me, and it'll be better for you too."
He turned and began walking away, halting only to add: "As soon as I can arrange it, I'll make sure you won't be hurt because of me either."
"I swear I won't let that monster take anyone else away from me."
Author's notes
Hello everyone, and as always thank you all for reading, reviewing, following and favouriting. I hope you enjoyed the chapter.
I had a little trouble with this chapter and ended up writing it all in a weird order so hopefully, it reads ok (if a little sad).
Sorry about the little fake-out with Haussmann Jr at the start, it seemed like a good time to bring him back into the story and show not everyone is a cool super mage. I also thought it was good to drop him in because both he and Will are grieving and not dealing with it very well, so I thought that it would make for a good parallel.
Long-time readers may now be aware that myself and Vimmy-Vickers-1919 (Author of the Purpose of Conflict, please read because it's good) have been acting as each other's beta readers for a while. We have also been putting the odd reference to each other's stories throughout with Will's brother Ludwig appearing in POC. With this in mind, you get a cookie if you guess what Ms Jane Doe's real name is.
As you can tell, Will didn't take things well. I know some might be a little disappointed that I didn't "show" exactly what he did in Tripoli, but I thought it better to leave it a little vague and let you guys decide what he did. You can decide how much of a war criminal he is.
Tanya quotes the 1907 Hague Regulations of war: "It is especially forbidden to destroy or seize the enemy's property, unless the destruction or seizure be imperatively demanded by the necessities of war" in his defence for the property damage. I would argue she is technically correct in her interpretation, even if it isn't quite in the spirit of the rule. Much like with Arene, however, it's a good Tanyaesque loophole which I thought worked quite well.
Originally, I had planned to kill off Christina completely but after I decided to make her and Weiss an item I felt bad about it so I had to change things a little. Arguably, you could say I've done worse for Will by not killing her though as now his guilt will keep him away from her even if she recovers.
Finally, I would also like to add an extra thank you to Vimmy-Vickers-1919 because he was kind enough to commission some more art for the Saint for my birthday, courtesy of PanzSan (please check them out on Twitter). Again I can't link it here as the site gets rid of links but if you visit the user Lord0Solus on Deviant Art you will find it, all the previous stuff I had made as well as the art for Vickers' story The Purpose of Conflict. (You can go read that right now if you want to.)
Again thank you all for reading
Xanen